


Coffee Stains

by Sierraem



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Light BDSM, Post-War, coffee and banter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:40:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24509302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sierraem/pseuds/Sierraem
Summary: With a growing war, Theodore Nott had spent the better of his later years at Hogwarts trying to protect the ones he loves. Difficult choices had to be made to evade death. But what happens when your carefully laid plans crumple at the simple reunion over coffee? "It's difficult to resist when it feels like you're exactly where you ought to be,."Theomione pairing!Updates will be dependent on when I have days off, due to me being an "essential" worker.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott
Comments: 11
Kudos: 72





	1. Chapter One

The first time he saw her after the war was in a courtroom. A courtroom where his fate was being decided by the Wizegamont. She was seated off to the side by Potter with her hand raised as if she was in class, waiting to be called upon. 

He remembered the sound of her voice as she rallied for his release. He had heard rumors that she fought tooth and nail at other trials of his housemates. 

“We were all just CHILDREN, fighting YOUR war. Adults were meant to keep us safe and you failed us. If anyone should be on bloody trial it should be you!” Hermione pointed a finger at the other side of the Wizegamont, where the older generations sat. They glared back at the little witch. 

“He’s marked, Miss Granger! We are grateful for what you and Mr. Potter have sacrificed, but we cannot ignore his associations!” A wizard who he thought might be Mr. Clearwater replied. 

“He was a spy for the Order!” She revealed. Dramatic gasps filled the courtroom and Mr. Clearwater looked up in shock at her stubborn staredown. 

“Do you have proof, Miss Granger?” Kingsley Shacklebot held out his hand with a kind smile towards the witch. She turned to Harry who walked to the front, holding a vial with a worn out cork. 

The minister stared at the liquid inside and turned to the Wizegamont. “I’d like for the courtroom to clear, including the accused, as we review this evidence,” He announced. 

A half an hour later and Hermione was practically digging her hand into Harry’s arm as Ameila Bones stood, reading from parchment. 

“We have reviewed the memories of Severus Snape, a known spy for the Order. Due to this evidence, we find Theodore Thoros Nott, guilty of the charges laid against him today. Guilty, but cleared of all charges,” Theo tried not to look at anyone but Amelia, but out of his peripheral, Granger’s undeniable victorious smile was hard to miss. 

“It is with great sacrifice from Mr. Nott that we are standing here today, free. Without spies amongst Voldemort’s ranks, we would have not succeeded. We are suggesting probation over time in Azkaban. He was a Death Eater, and took great costs to ensure Harry would win in the end. We were also shown memories from Miss Granger of Nott helping the younger students of Hogwarts escape the castle during battle, and tending to the injured. We, as the Wizegamont, feel Mr. Nott will be a good example to others in his situation during this probation period, and become an upstanding citizen in our community as we move forward and heal.”

Theo felt dizzy as the shackles were magically removed from his wrists. He looked over to Granger, who smiled at him. Feeling inadequate and awkward, he gave her a nod as he kept his face perfectly blank. He had many unanswered questions. And he had been cleared. Cleared of everything. 

Four months later, these questions remained unanswered. Granted, Theo hadn’t risked going out much, mainly due to the treatment he and his fellow Slytherin’s received from the public. Despite having a clear record, “Death Eater scum” was often an insult hurled at him in public spaces. Never too loud, spoken under the breaths of those who bumped into his shoulder, or hexed him in the streets and alleyways. 

If Theo went out, it was for desperation of fresh air, not the stagnant air that flowed through his shared flat with Draco. On a day like today, the cool fall September air was too hard to refuse. He strolled through the Leaky Cauldron and immediately felt a sense of relief as he stepped out onto the streets of Muggle London. The anonymity was a huge reason he chose to endevor out into the strange, foriegn world. He liked that people smiled as he passed them on the street. It was a freedom he hadn’t really ever felt. He was always to be the perfect Pureblood. And those habits had stuck around, which was fine. The appeal was more that he had a choice in how the general Muggle public saw him. They tended to find him poised and polite as he held open doors and said his “please” and “thank you’s.” They’d get a flash of his dark mark under his suit sleeve and say things like “Cool tat!”

That comfortable anonymity was how he found himself at a coffee shop around the corner from the entrance to Diagon Alley everyday for the past week. He had just ducked into the shop as large raindrops started to fall from the sky. He ordered a large black coffee and a blueberry scone, and successfully evaded the flirtatious stares from the blonde behind the counter. He made his way eagerly to his corner by the window and opened up a Muggle newspaper, taking great delight in the stories and non-moving images. 

When the bell rang above the door, he looked up out of habit and almost choked on his scone. Four months later, and there she bloody was, smiling as she ran in from the downpour outside, running a hand through her soaked curls, a robe peeking out from a messenger bag slung over her shoulder. He watched her tug the sleeves of her red jumper down as her body adjusted to the temperature in the shop. Theo pressed his back into the corner wall as much as he could, begging Merlin, Morgana and bloody Salazar Slytherin that she would not see him. He slowly tried to make his escape, grabbing his coffee and shoving the scone into his mouth as he stood. Watching her rather than where he was going, he didn’t see the chair that was pulled out by a group of giggling teenage girls who had been sitting in front of him. The next thing he knew, his foot was caught, his scone went flying, the steaming hot coffee was all over his suit, and he was on the floor. He heard her ask for a rag from the blonde behind the counter and he was up, trying to subtly cast a cleansing charm as he turned his face away from the witch. She tapped his shoulder and he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to find a way to escape short of apparating. He turned to her in defeat and she gasped. 

“Nott?!” She asked with surprise. He supposed he couldn’t really blame her. A Muggle coffee shop was not a likely place to run into him.

“Granger,” he said with a nod, accepting the rag out of her hand as she stared at him in a daze. He cleaned the floor and got up to see his shoes scuffed and his suit wrinkled. He avoided her stares as he smoothed his hands over his pants and flicked off any dust that might be lingering. He walked up to the counter, ignoring Granger as she followed him. 

He looked at the blonde’s name tag as he handed her the rag. “Sorry about that, Daisy,” He apologized with a tight smile, as she idiotically batted her eyelashes at him. He turned and headed straight for the door, but he made the mistake of hesitating under the awning as the rain came down even harder. 

“Nott! Wait!,” He heard her voice and he sighed. She apparently wouldn’t be letting this awkward encounter go. He turned to look down at her and considered ignoring her. Because of course she was fucking perfect in her disarray. She was all pink tinged cheeks, wide eyed with a brilliant smile to match. A smile that he’d only seen when it was directed towards others. 

“Granger,” Theo cordially answered. She had an expectant look in her eye. She wanted to talk and the downpour meant he was stuck. “How do you do?” he managed lamely. 

“Fine! Just fine. I was just across the street at the bookstore and now I’m here for some coffee,” She rambled, breathlessly. He shivered. Hermione noticed. “It’s quite cold out now. Would you like to join me? We can catch up.” She pointed with her thumb to the door behind them. The invitation rolled off her tongue with ease and he almost said no. 

For some reason beyond his comprehension, he hadn’t said no. In fact, a resounding “yes” blurted out of his mouth and he found himself right back in the shop, sitting across from Hermione fucking Granger, ignoring the daggers from Daisy at the register. 

Mind, they hadn’t said much to each other once he came back with her latte and his fresh coffee. She stirred in far too much sugar and fidgeted with the hem of her jumper for all of ten minutes straight. It was agonizing. 

“So,” she finally broke the silence and Theo was grateful. “How are you?” She asked as if they were acquaintances and not the enemies they should be. 

Theo chuckled, and she bristled in response. He reeled in the smile that crept on his face. “I’m fine Granger. You?” he answered with as much sincerity as he could muster.

She laughed a pretty laugh that made him swallow heavily. “It’s all a bit silly isn’t it? I’m sorry. I don’t know how to make small talk,” She admitted with a shrug. 

“You know, we don’t have to endure small talk,” He pointed out, taking a drink from the paper cup in front of him. He felt her stare and continued to look down. 

“Right well. Do you frequently visit Muggle London?” She asked, attempting to sound casual. The look of perplexity in her eyes, as if she was trying to search the answer out of his expression gave her away. ' _Bloody Gryffindors_ ' Theo thought to himself. 

He leaned forward, giving her a calculating stare back, and watched her squirm in discomfort. A smirk appeared on his face, and he found he quite liked it. 

“It’s been a recent adventure, I suppose. Can’t stay inside all the time. Not to mention my flatmate. Real tosser that one is,” He said. 

“Flatmate?” She inquired.

He nodded. “Just Draco and I. It’s not a bad place. It’s got a view of Diagon Alley.

She scoffed. “Well with Malfoy as a flatmate I’d imagine it would be swanky.” 

“Not so, Granger,” He corrected. “Malfoy and I had half of our vaults swept away by the Ministry. We got to pick what the funds went to.”

“And what did you pick?” She asked, subconsciously leaning forward into the center of the table. 

“For the restoration of Hogwarts,” He answered, his voice gruff. He cleared it, not quite meeting her eyes. 

“Well that’s...a great thing,” She nodded in approval and Theo exhaled. He noticed her forehead scrunch up and her eyes shut tightly. 

“You alright?” 

“Yes, yes. It’s just a bit of a headache” she replied with a wave of her hand. 

Before he could inquire more, the bell rang and Theo practically leapt from his seat. Harry Potter came walking towards the table with an eyebrow quirked in their direction. 

“Harry!” Hermione said, as if she’d just been caught with her hand in the biscuit jar. 

“Mione,” He said in hesitant greeting, reaching down to give her a kiss on her cheek. He turned toward Theo and reached his hand out. “Nott.” 

It was a bizarre situation he found himself in, but Theo took the Chosen One’s hand and shook it firmly. 

A sudden realization hit Hermione and she groaned. “Harry! Oh, I’m so sorry! I forgot we were meeting here,” she said in a fluster. 

Harry looked at her confused, but Theo saved them the trouble entirely. He stood up, minding the chairs around, only realizing he was covered by the coffee he had spilled. “It’s fine, Granger. I’ve actually got to go,” He said, edging towards the door. 

“Oh. Okay. Well, thank you for the company,” she said with a sincerity that made him feel completely and utterly out of place. 

He returned a tight smile and nodded towards Potter before bolting for the door. In his haste, Theo hadn’t remembered to charm the rain away. By the time he slammed his front door shut he was drenched and coffee stained. And worse, the rain had failed to wash her away from his thoughts. 


	2. Chapter Two

One miserable week later, Theo was staring out the window in the living room, an occasional sigh escaping his lips. His father would have scolded him. “ _ We do not sigh, Theodore. Sit up straight! Shoulders back!” _ It didn’t make a difference. He was longing for some fresh air. And some coffee.  _ And the possibility of running into a certain witch _ , he thought to himself. 

The sound of the floo and heels clacking against the ground shook him briefly out of his pity party. 

“Oh, absolutely not!” said a shrill voice, and suddenly Theo found himself being smacked on the shoulder. 

So not just his father would be doling out the scolding. Only this was worse. Much worse. He turned to the black haired witch with narrowed eyes, rubbing his shoulder. 

“Pansy, nice of you to drop in. I’d offer tea but that would mean you were here on a pre-existing appointment, a formal invitation if you will. As it is, I’m afraid I’m all booked up. I’m quite careful with my itinerary, there’s no way I double booked. Perhaps we should check my schedule and see when I’m-”

“Theodore, your attempt at witty banter is lost on me.” Pansy said in her most posh voice. His face soured at the use of his full name. He turned to face her and was about to answer when she cut him off. 

“It’s a waste of time really. Now, I’m here under the request of Draco Malfoy. He’s informed me that you have been doing nothing but moping around for all of a week without an explanation,” She continued, her well groomed brow quirked. It was as if she could read his mind. She paused for good measure and suddenly his throat was dry. She couldn’t read his mind...that was ridiculous. The silence grew and he shifted in his chair. He let out a huff and she let out a “ha!” In victory. She won their silent battle this time. Theo rolled his eyes and returned to facing the window. 

Of course she had been sent, Theo thought. If anyone loved to fix people it was Pansy Parkinson. She, in his opinion, had been wrongly sorted. She studied people with a mastery like any good Slytherin would, but instead of kindly minding her own bloody business, she prefered to stick herself right in the middle of it. A Gryffindor is what she should have been. 

She threw her arms up in annoyance and sighed heavily. “This sad boy act is really overdone. Now get up! We are going out.” Pansy stomped her foot like she was a toddler having a tantrum and began pulling on his arm. Knowing there wasn’t much he could do, Theo followed along. If he didn’t corporate, she’d be forced to bring in reinforcements. He shuddered at the thought. 

An hour later, Theo was being forced through the front door of the Leaky Cauldron, avoiding unkind gazes as Pansy directed him to the back where his friends were waiting. 

“My how the mighty have fallen,” A deep voice rang out in the group. Theo glared at Blaise but sat beside him anyway. 

“I was kidnapped, and wandless. Not much I could have done mate,” Theo replied. 

Blaise let out a “tsk” in disappointment as he forced a pint into Theo’s unexpecting hands. 

“Drink up. It’s been downright awful without you this past week. I’ve had to put up with this lot by myself. And to think I considered you an ally,”

“Cut the dramatics Blaise,” Daphne Greengrass said in a bored tone, swatting Blaise’s hand from across the table. Theo smirked as the two continued to argue. He looked around at his friends as he took a sip of the ale in his mug. 

Pansy was always the example of picture perfect: wearing the latest fashion, not stray black hair out of place, back straight, and a careful practiced smile in case the press were to snap a picture. 

Daphne was beautiful in her own right. She had a relaxed, casual way about her that settled the nerves of everyone. She wore traditional robes that would have looked stuffy on anyone else. Her brown hair was swept over her tan shoulders. Theo knew this too was an act. Daphne wore the expression of indifference to cast away the anxiety he knew she was always carefully hiding. Every once in a while, if you looked closely, you’d find Daphne picking at her fingernails under the table. And with a subtle wand wave, her fingers would once more be perfectly manicured and she’d smile in relief. 

Blaise was brash and loud. His family had stayed “neutral” much like the Greengrasses. Only they hadn’t really. Money was still given to fund Voldemort’s war effort. That was enough to brand him as a Death Eater, nevermind he never took the mark. He did idiotic things to draw attention away from the others, even if that meant his reputation steadily declined. This was especially true when it came to the press. Yes, the press loved Blaise and his antics. And to Blaise, it made no difference. Still, once a pure blood always a pureblood. He pulled off his publicity stunts all while remaining the posh, poised gentleman his mother raised him to be. He may have gotten sloshed on the regular, but he was often found holding doors open and pulling out chairs. 

And finally there was Draco, who was currently staring at Theo with steel grey eyes. Theo avoided them like the plague. Because Draco truly understood Theo. They had been marked together. They had bled and vomited and pleaded for the pain to stop on the same stone ground on which a certain witch would bleed and plead only a year later. The same room where Draco had to physically restrain Theo from stopping the inevitable: The Torture of Hermione Granger. Yes, Draco was the only one who truly  _ knew  _ Theo and the secrets he held closest to his chest. They all had secrets. Every one of them wartorn, saved from the dark cells of Azkaban by nothing but the good graces of the Golden Trio. 

And on that note, Theo broke the tension by changing the subject. The Slytherins had laughed and reminisced about happier times for hours. Tom had to kick them out a little after last call with a smile. It was a relief they were welcomed into the bar and Inn at all. Theo had gotten properly wasted and promised a worried Daphne that he would walk home and not risk splinching himself by disapparating. He had asked where Draco had run off to. In his head it came out clear, but Daphne had ordered him to go because he sounded like he was speaking Parseltongue. 

As he stumbled down Diagon Alley, attempting to make it home, it was as if Morgana herself was playing tricks on him. Because there she was. The witch he had been desperately trying to avoid and desperately hoping to see all at the same time. She was staring at him as he held onto the nearest wall for balance, cursing under his breath. 

As she got closer, Theo began to see stars. Surely Hermione was just a figment of his drunken state. What would she be doing out so late? And in those  _ fucking _ muggle jeans that hugged her curves wonderfully. Yes, she must be imaginary, Theo decided. And suddenly the wall wasn’t there anymore, and he was falling over. Her small hands tried to catch his fall, but they both ended up tumbling over. 

“Nott! Are you okay? Oh gods you smell..well awful. You smell terrible. Have you been drinking?” She asked. 

“Mhmm yeeeeep,” Theo slurred, a loud pop at the end of his p. He watched her through hooded eyes. 

She looked around for help but as it was almost one in the morning, no one was around. Except, for the paparazzi that had spotted her from behind a bush. She watched as the man pulled out a camera, and made a beeline for the both of them. She tightened her grip on Theo’s arm as the camera flashed. Theo watched her close her eyes and felt the familiar tug of apparation. 

They landed inside a darkened living room. He tried to make out the details in his drunken state. A wide fireplace in the corner, dawned with pictures on the mantelpiece. Unsurprisingly, she had a wall lined with hundreds of books that logically shouldn’t have fit on their adorning shelves. Theo spun around back far too quickly, and promptly puked on the carpeted floor. 

Hermione groaned and looked away, vanishing his sick with a flick of her wand. 

“Mm-sorry,” He apologized. The room was spinning but he tried to focus on her face. He shook his head and tried to stand. 

“No, no no. This...is...youu! I cand be here wif you,” He blabbered as she pushed him back onto the couch. 

“Nott, you need to lay down. You need to sleep this off,” Hermione said, pushing a stray curl out of her face in frustration as she tried to move a man twice her size into a lying position. 

Theo nodded his head, which only made the room spin more as he continued to try to stand. He tugged on her arm causing her to fall on top of him. “Hmm pretty smell. Youstay Grangher,” He slurred, patting the spot on the couch next to him. 

Hermione rolled her eyes and pushed herself out of his grasp. “Alright. If I stay, will you go to sleep?” She asked. 

Theo nodded his head and mumbled something she couldn’t make out. After twenty minutes of garbled rambling, he finally passed out. Hermione grabbed a blanket and threw it over him as she stared down at the man now drunkenly snoring on her couch. Even in this state, she had to admit he was quite handsome. All strong jawline and muscle underneath a wrinkled white dress shirt, sports coat long since tossed carelessly on the floor. His black hair was pushed back from his forehead and she couldn’t believe she was seeing him so disheveled. He looked a bit ridiculous, and she found herself smiling as she pulled the blanket further up his shoulder. She felt her stomach twist in a familiar knot.

A meow from Crookshanks shook her out of her stupor and she stepped back from the wizard guiltily. The cat gave her a pointed stare and swished his tail. 

“Don’t give me that look, I haven’t done anything wrong!” Hermione said. Crookshanks looked as if he’d rolled his eyes and pranced towards her bedroom. She huffed and turned to follow him, giving Theo one last glance before closing her bedroom door. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my bff since birth for being my Beta! I own nothing. 
> 
> -SE

Hermione had woken up early, having set an alarm so she could make breakfast for herself and the wizard sleeping on her couch. She wrung her hands together trying to stave off the nerves that overtook her. This wasn’t just any wizard. It was Theodore Nott. A pureblood prince who had followed in the unfortunate footsteps of his father and had become a Death Eater. But he  _ wasn’t _ the person that the press painted him out to be. She  _ knew. _ She remembered.

_ Flashes of the battle up on the astronomy tower the night Dumbledore died. He had every opportunity to kill her and instead he stunned a fellow Death Eater from behind and told her to run. At Fleur and Bill’s wedding, his mask had slipped and she saw his blue eyes staring back at her before she was pulled away by Harry.  _

_ At Malfoy Manor she lay on the marble floor, screaming that they hadn’t been in Bellatrix’s vault. Vaguely through the pain, she remembered those same blue eyes. His face was pale and Malfoy had a firm grip on his shoulder, whispering something to his friend that she could not hear.  _

_ The battle at Hogwarts. A wall collapsing behind where she stood and Nott yanking her to safety at the last second, cradling her in his arms.  _

_ “Don’t bloody die, Granger,” was all he’d said. And then he did the strangest thing. He had kissed her head, before moving on to a duel against Death Eaters.  _

She wasn’t sure why he behaved the way he did. She still woke up to dreams of the war, and always in them, there he was: the dark, black hair and blue eyes. The tender kiss on her head that she wasn’t sure even happened or if she’d merely imagined it. It was why when she saw him in the muggle coffee shop, she felt she should talk to him. Ask him all the unanswered questions she had roving over in her brain. It’s why when she saw him stumbling through the streets of Diagon Alley, she approached him. Both times, she hadn’t asked.

A tapping on her bedroom window shook her out of her thoughts. She opened the latch and a little barn owl flew in, hooting with enthusiasm as he dropped the Daily Profit into her awaiting hands. She carried it under her arms, padding into the kitchen quietly, adamantly avoiding the living room with her eyes as she heard faint snoring. She yawned sleepily as she prepared a full pot of coffee. Flicking the switch on, the sounds of the water heating was a welcomed sound. She reached for a mug in a cabinet, turned to the counter, and promptly dropped the mug with a loud crash. The Daily Profit lay on her breakfast island. Staring up at her, a picture of Nott and herself played smugly over and over again across the front page.

In the picture, Nott is leaning against a wall, smiling up at Hermione in a way that looked almost intimate, something she hadn’t noticed last night in the shadows of the dark alley. They’re speaking, though from the picture you can’t make out the words. A flash, and startled faces. Hermione spots the paparazzi, grabs hold of his hand and they apparate away. She watched it again, focusing hard on Nott’s face as he smiled at her. 

“Bloody hell, Granger! You’re bleeding!” Nott’s voice yelled from behind her, scaring her. Hermione yelped and flung around too quickly, her hair hitting Nott in the eye. 

He stumbled back blindly as he held a hand to his eye, hitting the back of the sink. 

“Oh! Merlin, Nott, I’m so sorry!,” Hermione tried to take a step towards him but his other arm shot out to stop her movements. 

“Be careful! There’s glass!” Nott nodded his head to the shattered mug inches from her bare feet. 

Hermione looked down at the mess in a daze. The firm hand on her stomach was far too distracting. The heat from his palm seemed to seep right through the cotton of her shirt and traveled up and down her body. He hadn’t moved. Neither of them had and her breath quickened. Had he always been this tall? Her eyes trailed up slowly, over dress pants and a wrinkled white t-shirt he must have worn under his button down. The t-shirt was, well,  _ very _ snug against his chest and toned arms. Her eyes flickered to his handsome face. She tried to remember what he looked like at Hogwarts, and yes, he had been a handsome boy. But this was no boy in front of her now. 

As if it was subconscious on his part, he gave her stomach a light squeeze before he moved his hand away. She sincerely thought about grabbing his hand and putting it back. Instead she gripped the island behind her. 

He pulled out his wand from his trousers, cleared the glass from the floor, and stepped closer. 

“You’re still bleeding,” Theo said as he grabbed her hand and brought it closer to his face to inspect it. She watched as he brought the tip of his wand up to her hand and siphoned the blood. He carefully healed the cuts with a tenderness that surprised her. It was just a few cuts and really she could have fixed it herself with dittany or a muggle bandaid, but Hermione selfishly liked this more. 

“You’re handy with those healing charms,” She said. 

He smirked, as if she had said something amusing. “All fixed up. How did the mug break?” 

Hermione sighed and picked up the paper behind her, passing it into his waiting hands. 

His brows shot up and then she watched his expression grow dark. She remembered the ridiculous headline. 

_ “Death Eater’s Wild Night with Golden Girl,” _

“Pansy is going to kill me,” Theo muttered to himself. 

And just like that, Hermione felt like an utter fool. She had seen them in public before  with the rest of their friend group. Having never put together that Nott and Pansy were dating was a stupid mistake. She had taken him into her home without even asking if it was okay! Besides her own obvious need for a good shag from a simple bloody touch of a man, nothing had happened. Hermione chastised herself and quickly pulled herself together. 

“I’m so sorry if this brings on any...conflict for you,” Hermione said.

“Conflict?” He asked, one confused brow raised as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. A realization seemed to dawn on him and suddenly he was chuckling. It was a rare sight to see and something she would have enjoyed much more if he wasn’t obviously having a laugh at her expense. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in a huff. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“You think I’m  _ involved _ with Pansy?” He asked pointedly, an amused smile on his face. 

She shifted uncomfortably. 

"Granger, Pansy likes to dote on just about every human she finds somewhat tolerable. She insists we all stay out of the press to not draw more attention to our group due to the fact that she’s far more concerned with reinstating our social status within the general Wizarding community. So yes, she  _ is _ going to kill me and I’m frankly surprised she hasn’t somehow figured out your location and attempted to break down your very sophisticated wards to properly scold me on how ‘this impacts everyone, Theodore,’.” 

”I…”

“It’s fine Granger. I can put up with her. Have been for years. As a  _ friend.  _ She’s not remotely my type,” he said pointedly

She chewed on her bottom lip contemplating on asking him who exactly his type was. Hermione felt as if she was losing her mind, really, because she did  _ not _ outright flirt with anyone.  But this sudden crush on the man before her didn’t feel all that sudden, which was a thought that would normally concern her. He was staring at her as she shook herself out of her thoughts. 

“Coffee? Breakfast?” She suggested, changing the subject before she said something she might regret. 

“Please,” He said with a polite nod. 

Hermione poured him a large mug which he accepted eagerly. She bit back a smile, and turned to the stove and cabinets. She grabbed eggs from the cooling cabinet and a frying pan from another. 

As she cooked, Hermione felt his eyes on her. 

“Do you always cook the Muggle way?” Nott finally asked. 

Hermione's stirring slowed, taken off guard by his question. “Yes I do. I know how to cook with magic, of course. Molly...I mean Mrs. Weasley. Well, she taught me quite a bit. But I prefer doing it this way. It reminds me of my parents.” 

She plated the food, carrying them to the table to find a hardened expression on Theo’s face. The Gryffindor courage bubbled up and before she could give it much thought, she was speaking frankly. 

“You don’t have to hide yourself from me you know.” 

Theo scoffed into his mug. “Is that so?” 

She straightened her spine, looking much like the know-it-all she was. “I know we never really talked much in school, but when we did we got along fairly well,” she defended in a haughty voice. 

The careful mask once again adorned his face and she studied it as much as she could. “Yes we did,” he answered in an even tone.

“Well I imagine we can get along now. As acquaintances, at the very least.” 

“Acquaintances don’t take one another home,” he pointed out. 

That response threw her off. Was he...flirting? A blush crept up her neck and she tried to hide it by focusing on eating. 

“Thank you for rescuing me while I was inebriated,” he said in between bites. 

She let out a shaky laugh. “Anytime.” They finished eating in a comfortable silence. 

She stood to clear the plates but was surprised to find her plate being forcefully taken out of her hands by his own. He raised a challenging brow and something about it made her sink back in her chair. She watched in shock as a pleased smile took over his face. He walked over to the sink and surprised her even more by washing each dish carefully, by hand. The Muggle way. 

“Thank you.” 

Theo turned around and his eyes flashed. “You have nothing to thank me for. In fact, I’ve been wanting to speak to you about something. Properly.” 

She could tell he felt awkward. His back was stiff and his face tense. He sat back down briefly and ran a stressed hand through his hair. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to properly thank you for saving me from Azkaban. You or Potter, really. I never got to see what you showed the Wizengamot that day, but I’m forever indebted to you,” he said sincerely. 

The emotion she was feeling was stuck in her throat. She boldly reached for his hand and gave it a firm squeeze. 

“You’re not a monster, Nott. You didn’t deserve to be in that place.” 

He looked like he wanted to disagree but thought better of it. 

“So, thank you Nott. For doing my dishes,” She said with a smile to ease up the tense conversation. 

He smirked handsomely and it struck something in her she hadn’t felt in some time. 

“No Granger. The pleasure is all  _ mine _ ,” He emphasized before returning to the dishes. 


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Life is crazy and thanks for your patience. That's 2020 though! Hoping everyone has a Happy holidays as much as they can.

It had been difficult leaving her flat. He had teased her endlessly about how every pillow, every blanket and piece of decor was either crimson or gold. He had called her a ‘Gryffindor princess” on his way out the floo and his teasing was met with blushed cheeks. 

Stepping out into his own flat to be met with a judging star from Draco had instantly soured his mood. 

“Just can’t stay away, can you?” Draco said as he brought his eyes back to the morning paper he was reading. Theo scowled at the front page. Somehow, this was so newsworthy that it merited a whole bloody front spread. 

“Good morning Drake. Yes I agree, last night was a lovely outing. Until of course, you ditched me to disappear off to Merlin knows where. Leaving your best mate since infancy, stumbling drunk in the streets, only to have his misfortune broadcast to the whole bloody United Kingdom. Other than  _ that  _ it was a peachy night,” Theo rattled off as he slumped into a gray loveseat. 

Draco set the paper down and looked at his friend, shaking his head. 

“You’ve got owls. One is definitely a howler from Pans. The other is from Potter.”

“Reading my owls? What are we, back in sixth year?”

“Newly appointed Head Auror Potter is requesting a meeting with you.”

Theo grabbed the opened letter off of the counter and thought about hexing the blond git. He read with wide eyes and suddenly a pit in his stomach formed. 

_ Mr. Theodore Nott, _

_ I am working on a project and am in need of help. You came highly recommended by our old Professor Flitwick. I understand you aren’t due for a wand check until the 18th of September, but I was hoping we could meet earlier and get the check completed at the same time. Please send me back a date and time this week that is most convenient for you.  _

_ -Auror Potter _

“Auror Potter,” Theo snorted and set the letter down, grabbing a spare piece of parchment to write out his reply. 

“Pitiful, isn’t it? He doesn’t even know how to use his proper title. You’d think the Auror department had lost its damn mind appointing Potter as head,” Draco shook his head in mock disappointment. 

Theo wrote his reply in perfect cursive, making sure to address Potter by his proper title to make a point. He looked down at his writing with a small smile, knowing his perfect script would at least annoy the speckled git. 

“Are you going to see her again?” Draco asked, a stern look on his face. 

“It’s not like we made plans, Drake. It was innocent,”

“Yes, that picture screamed innocent,” Draco said with a snort and a roll of his eyes.

“I see you didn’t open up the howler,” Theo asked, changing the subject.

Draco scoffed as he stood up to go to the kitchen. “I have no urge to lose my hearing today, thank you very much.” 

Theo sighed at the offending red envelope and pulled his wand out of his trousers. He cast a silencing charm on the envelope, carefully lifting the seam with a finger as it exploded. The envelope floated into the air, following Theo into the kitchen as he held his letter to Potter in his hand. Though he could not hear it’s contents, he shuddered. Theo stopped short as he watched Draco flick his wand and the dishes began to wash by magic. The hopelessness he had been feeling all week settled in again. He was well and truly fucked when it came to Hermione Granger. 

He went over to the window where a Ministry owl sat perched on the windowsill, clearly waiting for Theo’s reply. He tied the envelope carefully to it’s outstretched leg and the owl affectionately rubbed his face against Theo’s hand. He watched the bird take flight with a pensive expression, ignoring the look of worry Draco was sending his way. 

  
  


Theo had spent the remainder of his day fretting over his meeting with The Boy Who Lived. He had slept all of an hour that night, ignoring the jars from Draco about his ‘shit appearance’ as he left their flat in the early morning. The gloom he felt reflected in the sky as grey clouds covered any ounce of sun. He had opted to dress sharp, unsure of what this meeting called for in the way of clothing. The pressed, fitted suit and long robes draped over his shoulders also distracted from the bags under his eyes and his uncooperative hair.

He had chugged a take away coffee from the shop a few blocks away from his typical shop. The thought of running into her today when he was already so anxious was not ideal.

Opting to take the visitors entrance, Theo stepped into the atrium, shocked to see how much repair and construction had been started over the course of a few months. The fountain which had held the now infamous statue of the Muggles had been torn down. He had heard Potter threw a fit when it was suggested that a statue of the Golden Trio be put in its place. Instead, they were building a monument to honor those who had perished in the war. 

Theo ignored the looks of disgust on the passersby as he made his way to the lifts. As soon as he got into the lift, panic settled in as he caught a glimpse of wild, brunette curls running towards them before the doors closed. He realized he had been slamming his finger repeatedly on the button of his destination. A blond witch tucked in the corner was now staring at him with a raised brow. He gave her a polite nod and collected himself.

"You okay, Nott?” The witch asked. He looked back at her, searching his mind for where he knew her from. He spotted a yellow scarf tucked under her white blouse and placed a smile on his face. 

“Just fine, Abbot. Heard you’re taking over Tom’s place soon?” 

She smiled a friendly smile at him that took him by surprise. “It’s why I’m here actually. He’s signing over the Leaky to me today.” 

“Congratulations,” He praised, and he meant it. Her warmth towards him was unexpected, but welcomed to stave off the anxiety about why  _ he  _ was at the Ministry. 

The doors opened and they both looked up. 

“I’ll be expecting you and your friends at the party I’m throwing tomorrow night,” The bubbly Hufflepuff said as she skipped out into the hallway. 

The joy he had felt passed all too quickly as the lift jolted to a stop and he exited into a well lit hallway. The doors at the end were propped open with rocks, something that Theo found bizarre.

As he entered, he noticed the large glass windows that lined the walls of the Aurors’ office. Memos were whizzing through the air, from desk to desk. Witches and Wizards sat at said desks, some on muggle phones, talking loudly to whomever was on the other end, some hunched over paperwork. It was the perfect mix of magic and muggle items. Spinny, black office chairs, floating filing cabinets, a muggle coffee machine sat on a cabinet where aurors gathered, laughing, talking, and drinking. 

“Nott,” Potter’s deep voice rang out from the end of the office.

He wanted to roll his eyes as every head turned in his direction. ‘Now they notice me’ Theo thought to himself. He had been in a room full of criminal catchers, and they hadn’t even noticed an ex-Death Eater walk straight into their territory.

Ignoring the stares, he crossed the room and held out a hand. Potter looked over Theo’s shoulder distractedly as he shook his outstretched hand firmly. 

“Back to work I think,” Potter yelled to the room, and immediately every Auror was back to their tasks. 

“Sorry about that,” Potter apologized as he stepped through a door. Theo paused before entering, taking in the copper name plate, bolted on the front of the door. 

The noise evaporated as soon as Potter shut the door. 

“Congratulations are in order I see?” Theo offered politely. 

Potter ran a hand through his messy black hair, causing it to frizz even more. “Yes, well. Wasn’t expecting to be promoted to Head straight out of training, but Kingsley insisted.”

Theo nodded slowly at Potter's casual use of the new Minister’s first name. 

Theo glanced around the room, taking the office in. Large windows overlooked London. A rather large plant sat in the corner, overgrowing it’s pot. Potter’s desk was made of glass, and his black chair had wheels on it. How anyone could concentrate as a chair moved around was beyond Theo.

He sat gingerly in a black armchair that was so comfortable, under different circumstances he might ask where Potter had purchased it. Theo knew he oozed the arrogance with which he was raised as he sat straight backed, ready for business.  _ ‘Old habits’ _ he thought as Potter sat before him with a tense smile. 

“Head Auror. Quite an accomplishment at eighteen,” Theo supplied, continuing their conversation.

Potter looked uncomfortable as he sat back in his chair, rubbing a hand over the silvery, faded scar on his forehead. 

Theo tried to not stare. 

“Still getting used to being a boss,” Potter answered honestly. 

Theo could clearly see the effects of war looking at the man before him. Potter too had bags under his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept well in years. Worry lines were embedded deep in his forehead, especially when he frowned. And yet, a boyhood still shone through. His Auror robes were open, haphazardly hanging off his shoulder, much like they did at Hogwarts. He wore muggle jeans, shoes that had looked like they had seen better days, and a faded Gryffindor T-shirt. Yes, Theo was over dressed indeed.

Potter cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’m sure you’re wondering why you are here.”

“I dare say I am,” Theo replied. 

Potter nodded and pulled out a large file from a cabinet behind him. He seemed to hesitate as he ran his hand over the front of the file before dropping it in front of Theo. 

Theo stared at the offending large manilla folder, papers practically spilling out.

“I need to be up front about something. The department thinks we are discussing your case today. But beyond the wand check, we aren’t.”

Theo’s brows rose. 

“No?” He inquired.

Potter shook his head and pushed the file closer to Theo, who cleared his throat as he reached for it. He rifled through the pages with a look of indifference. “You said you needed help with a project?”

Potter remained silent and Theo rose a delicate brow at the wizard before looking back down at the file, careful to keep his expression blank.

“These are Granger’s medical records. Why am I looking at these?”

Potter turned away, clearly trying to gather himself. His voice was gruff as he spoke.

“She’s not doing well, actually. The damage that Bellatrix inflicted on her that night at the Manor is destroying her magical core. Look again, Nott. Look for yourself.”

Theo felt faint as he tried to grasp the words Potter spoke. His fingers shook ever so slightly as he opened the file once more. He was grateful that Potter had looked away. 

Theo stared at the documents in disbelief. She was suffering from permanent nerve damage from the Cruciatus and her magic was depleting. 

“There’s something else, though. Healers are lost - this sort of damage should have killed her. But there was something that saved her. It’s some sort of modified protective spell. They also found a pretty botched obliviate placed on her. There are large gaps in her memory.”

Theo was having trouble swallowing, and he was quickly losing the grasp on his emotions. 

“And you have definitive proof of the memories how?”

Potter sighed heavily and pulled a clear storage box from another filing cabinet. They were filled with two vials of swirling white liquid. 

“These are from the trials of you and your friends. We didn’t only present the ministry with Snape’s memories. We gave ours as well, for character witness. I’ve seen modified memories before in sixth year with Dumbledore. The one I saw was from Professor Slughorn pertaining to Tom Riddle. The memory was chunky. Quite a different consistency compared to other memories I had seen.”

“You’ve been in a pensive?” Theo asked, intrigued. 

Potter nodded. “Many times actually. But as you can clearly see, Hermione’s vial has memories with an interesting consistency. Not quite chunky. But also, not as smooth as they should be.” 

Theo picked up the two vials, comparing the liquid as it swirled around. Potter was right. Her memories almost looked  _ heavier _ .

“The headaches.” Theo muttered. 

Potter looked at him with wide eyes. 

“Yes. How did you…”

“The Coffee shop,” Theo supplied. “She complained of a headache when we were talking.”

Harry gave him a thoughtful look and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“I asked you here because I happen to know you are quite efficient in memory charms, at least according to Professor Flitwick. He told me that you studied them heavily in school as an independent study. Not to mention you might be able to assist with finding a counter curse. He said he’d offered to take you on as a mentee in hopes you’d take over the Charms position at Hogwarts.”

Theo shifted in his seat. The bloody wizard sent him an owl once a week after his trial to try and convince him to work under him. Theo had no desire to work at Hogwarts. Too much had happened there that he truly wished to erase from his brain. 

“She spends all her time researching this and we’ve got no answers. Hermione isn’t used to not having answers. McGonagall gives her access to the Hogwarts library, but a lot of it is still being restored from the war, especially the books in the restricted section. This was purely a personal matter that very well could have had me sacked until she found evidence that her memories are layered with a very old magic. Kingsely has given me permission to work on the case officially due to the damage Bellatrix caused. If we have answers, maybe we can help other victims, like Neville’s parents. Still, it’s classified, which is why my staff thinks you are here for details about missing Death Eaters.” 

Theo couldn’t speak. Instead he nodded slowly. 

“I also really am not sure what is going on with you two…” 

Theo raised a brow and Potter let out an awkward laugh. 

“I don’t take much stock in the Prophet and I’m not saying what it printed yesterday was true. But I have something else to admit to I’m afraid.” 

“Go on?” Theo encouraged, his heart practically in his stomach from nerves. 

Potter winced as he fidgeted with his wand. 

“I may have...witnessed your...friendship sixth year,” He blurted out. 

Theo sat back in the chair, keeping his face perfectly blank despite the internal freak out he was having. 

“She doesn’t know that I saw anything, of course,” He began, rambling nervously. “I imagine if she did she’d murder me, but I just want you to know that I know you at least at some point cared for her. And that I hope you’ll help.” 

“I have conditions.”

Potter smiled tightly. “I figured.” 


	5. Chapter Five

Theo walked calmly back to his flat, unsurprised to hear the voices of his mates from the other side of the door. He made a show of slowly turning the door knob. 

Theo rolled his eyes as he entered the flat, shrugging off his robes and tossing them on the back of a chair. 

Blaise and Draco were sitting on the couch, a wizard's chess board in front of them. They hadn’t even set up the pieces correctly. ‘Amateurs’ Theo thought to himself as he sat down beside them. Pansy and Daphne were pretending to flip through some witch weekly magazines. 

“Alright mate?” Draco asked, attempting to move a rook. The rook refused to move and looked up at the blond wizard with confusion. The pieces on the board all began to curse loudly, shaking their fists up at the wizards before stomping across the board, moving themselves into the correct spots. 

For a beat, all they could do was stare at the board awkwardly. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Pansy blurted out before closing the magazine forcefully and shoving the board and pieces onto the floor against the pieces’ protests.

“Well?” She said impatiently, tapping her heel against the floor. 

“We’re getting our vaults back,” Theo said casually. 

“WHAT?!” Pansy shrieked as everyone but Daphne recoiled in pain, covering their ears. 

Daphne held her hand up to silence the witch as he looked at Theo with worried eyes. 

“What do you mean we are getting our vaults back?” 

“I mean, i'm helping Potter with a large project for the Aurors. In turn, we are getting our vaults back.” 

“Hold up. Even if we  _ do _ get them back, they’ll be empty, will they not?” Blaise asked. 

Theo shook his head and laid back on the couch with his eyes closed. The lack of sleep was catching up with him. “Potter put a stop to the Wizegamont spending the other half of the Galleons in our vaults. Beyond what they used for the Hogwarts repairs, it’s all mostly still there. Including any family heirlooms. They’ll have to be swept over by a curse breaker, but I’ve heard Bill Weasley is the best in his field.” 

“What project?” Draco asked through suspicious eyes. 

“When is this happening Theo?” Daphne inquired in a nervous voice. 

He peaked a blue eye open at her and gave her a slight smile. She relaxed a touch. “We will have our vaults back by mid October. Potter’s got loads of paperwork to file, and frankly, with the state of that office it’ll be a miracle if he succeeds on time.” 

The Slytherins stayed quiet in contemplation. They weren’t  _ suffering _ by any means. They all had a roof over their head, they had food. But they were accustomed to living without worry. At least, until the Dark Lord came back. Theo didn’t give a shit about the money. It was tainted with centuries of evil and he’d really rather be clean of it. No, he had asked for his friends’ sake. Personally, he knew exactly what he was going to do with that money as soon as October rolled around.”

“What project, Theo?” Draco pressed again. Theo ignored him.

A thought occurred to Theo as he shot up, a smile stretching across his face. “We’ve been invited to a party tomorrow.” 

Pansy looked at him with wide eyes and a smile. “Us? As in  _ all _ of us?” She asked in disbelief. 

“Yes. Hannah Abbott owns the Leaky now.” 

Pansy and Daphne turned to each other with excitement and stood up. 

“Oye! Where are you two off to?” Blaise asked, with slight offense at not having been invited. 

“To purchase Abbott a gift,” Daphne said, as if it were obvious.

“Theo, get some sleep. You look dreadful.” 

“Thanks for that, Pans,” Theo replied with a fake smile. 

“Anytime. Toodles!” She said as she shut the door to the flat. 

“What’s the bloody project?” Draco spoke forcefully, worry clear on his pale face. 

“I’m to assist the Aurors with a research project.” 

“On what?”

“On charms. Remember charms? A subject I was quite good in.” 

“What charm?” 

“Well obviously I don’t know yet, as I haven’t started my research.” 

Draco scoffed. “Do the unspeakables not know what this important charm is?” 

Theo sat up and gripped his wand, trying to keep his temper in check. “Apparently not.” 

“Why would Potter choose you, of all people, to assist the Aurors?!” 

“I came recommended. Blaise, sit down.” 

Blaise was watching the exchange like the game of muggle tennis he had once attended over the summer. He jumped up as their tones grew hostile. 

“No, Blaise. Stand up. This isn’t bloody Hogwarts. You aren’t a prefect. And who, perhaps,  _ recommended  _ you to Potter?” 

“Flitwick, you know? The professor that owls me once a week? And I wasn’t the prefect. You were. Merlin knows why. Blaise, for gods sake, we aren’t going to murder each other!” 

“Then why do you have your wands drawn on each other?” Blaise asked with annoyance. They ignored him. 

“This is about what we discussed yesterday,” Draco said, smiling darkly when Theo fidgeted.

“I told you it was a terrible idea to get involved. In fact I recall having said that since FIFTH YEAR!” 

Theo laughed bitterly. “And I recall having a similar conversation during SIXTH year when you idiotically attempted to win over the Dark Lord!” 

“Aaaaand we’re done!” Blaise yelled over their voices, sending them both flying back into opposite walls with a flick of his wand.

“You, mate, are sleep deprived and are being an arse,” Blaise pointed his wand at Theo, who huffed and ran a hand through his black curls. 

“You are obviously referencing something that I don’t know about and you both know I  _ hate _ being out of the loop,” Blaise said to Draco with a pout. “This fight is unfair and so I am declaring it over. Theo, go to bed. Drake, go have a wank. Or disappear off to whoever you saw the other night and won’t tell your best mates about.” 

When Draco didn’t rebute, Blaise smirked. 

“I will see both of you later. I will be checking in to make sure you haven’t killed each other. Now go!” 

Theo obeyed and shut his bedroom door, practically dizzy with sleep. He opened a drawer and uncorked a vial of dreamless sleep. He tried to stay away from the purple potion, but he also very much didn’t want to dream. Tossing it back, he made it to his bed just in time before he was knocked out cold. 

A knock at the door startled Theo awake. The downside to dreamless sleep was the feeling similar to a hangover whenever you awoke. He blindly reached for his wand, casting a tempus charm. He had slept for a whole day. 

He groaned as the knocking persisted. “I’m coming! Fuck!” Theo stumbled out of his bedroom, the knocking not stopping for a second as he made his way to the front door. “I swear to MERLIN Pansy I’m going to jinx you! I don’t care that you’re a bloody girl!” He yelled as he threw open the front door. He stopped short as he looked down. 

“Granger,” He said, his voice breathy. 

She briefly smiled up at him and pushed her way past him. He watched in panic as she boldly entered his flat without being invited in. She set her beaded bag down on the coffee table and shrugged off her oversized cardigan. 

She rubbed her palms nervously on her tight jean covered thighs as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was still wearing his clothes from the previous day. 

“Granger, what are you doing here?”

“It wasn’t easy getting Harry to tell me what you were doing at the Auror’s office yesterday,” She responded. “He’s ridiculous, of course, for trying to hide something that literally impacts me in every way. Harry is protective and I think he feels guilty for some things that happened during the war,” She rambled, scratching at the scar on her arm. Theo crossed the room, though she didn’t seem to notice. He grabbed her arm to stop the scratching, refusing to look at the words carved there. 

“Potter told you about the project?” He looked down into her brown eyes. Her being here was idiotic. One bloody day and Potter had broken the biggest rule to him aiding in finding a cure for the witch in front of him. She was not to know. 

She upturned her chin in defence and he quirked a brow at her challenge. 

“Yes he did,” She said, shaking out of his grasp, crossing her small arms over each other. 

They were standing close together and he watched as the sass slowly turned into something else. Gathering himself, he took a step back from her, enjoying the look of confusion in her eyes. 

“Right. I’m going to shower. You are going to sit there and wait for me,” He commanded, pointing to the couch. She looked like she wanted to argue but seemed to think better of it. He gave her an impatient look and she swallowed hard. Making her way to the couch, she sat down with a loud thud.

She huffed and gave him a pointed look, a small smirk on her face. She bit the corner of her lip to try and stop it. ‘Too late’ he thought. 

He turned without saying a word. As he shut his bathroom door and turned the shower on cold he looked towards the direction of the living room, hoping she could feel his eyes through the walls.

“Good girl,” He impulsively whispered as he climbed into the shower. 


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! I know things are super weird right now, but I hope all have the happiest of Holidays! Thanks for sticking it out with my random upload schedule!   
> -SE

Hermione was furious. She had been warded out of Harry’s office and wasn’t sure why. She was currently deeply regretting teaching him this specific ward, one they had used often on the run. Hermione had seen Nott by the lifts, and he had let the doors close on her, completely ignoring the basic etiquette of holding a lift for someone who was clearly trying to get on it. And now, the lifts were involved in whatever Harry was up to, she was sure of it.

She had hit the button for the Aurors’ office all of ten times and every time the doors would open, Hermione was on the wrong floor. She stomped her foot on the ground in frustration, kicking up dust from the carpet. She sneezed loudly.   
“Bless you.”   
Startled, she looked up and saw Ron leaning against the wall, hands tucked into his brightly colored robes, a dung bomb embroidered on the sleeve. Ron was working with George and Fred in their joke shop as Fred was still using his walker to get along from his war injuries. Hermione suspected that Ron would stay even after Fred was fully mobile.   
“Thank you,” She replied awkwardly, pushing a curl out of her face.

It had been weeks since they had properly spoken. He cornered her at a Weasley dinner as she went to go wash her hands before eating. Ron had confessed his feelings for her and she felt...nothing. Hermione knew she should have liked Ron in that way. It had, of course, been suggested by people over the years. But the fact remained that she did not see him as more than a friend. She had simply stood there in silent pity. Ron’s temper flared and soon he was yelling, and she was yelling back, hair sparking with magic to match her rage. 

She remembered seeing black spots where the wizard should have been and next thing she knew, she woke up on the floor. Harry was kneeling over her, his hands on her cheeks, eyes watery. Molly had thrown up a silencing charm as Hermione rested in Ginny’s old bed not to disturb her. Molly had also yelled herself hoarse that night.   
That was the first incident of her blacking out from over exerting her magic. It was, unfortunately, not the last.   
She took a steadying breath, hoping to ease the headache that was starting to develop. “I need help,” she asked, smiling slightly as Ron looked at her with surprise.

“Okay,” His voice was timid as he made his way into the lift.

“I need you to press the button for the Auror floor.” He stared at her in confusion.   
She cleared her throat, remembering what her muggle therapist told her about taking a softer tone. “Please,” she added. 

He raised his mouth into his familiar sideways smile and pushed the button.

As the lift reached their destination, she grabbed the sleeve of his robe and used him as a human shield, pushing him down the hallway, past the open doors. She had taken note of the rocks being used as door stoppers and let out a ‘tsk’ of disapproval. She cast a wandless Notice-Me-Not and a Disillusionment charm on herself as she continued to push him into the room.

“Oye, Mione what are you doing?” Ron protested.   
  
“I’m sorry! Harry warded me out of the whole Auror office and I needed to confuse the charm by having you with me,” she whispered.   
Ron dug his heels into the ground forcefully. Hermione only pushed harder. 

Harry was standing next to an Auror at a desk and looked up with a smile. The panicked shaking of Ron’s head made Harry grab his wand. The Auror took notice of his boss’s defensive stance and flanked him, wand at the ready. In an instant, every Auror was standing up, wands pointed at Ron.   
“Hey now! It’s just Mione. But thanks for the warm welcome,” Ron said with a smirk before tapping his wand on Hermione’s head. The spell washed over her and she stood on her tippy toes behind Ron, glaring at Harry. 

“Err...wands down. It’s fine,” Harry lowered his wand and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. The Aurors followed suit, though the disappointment was clear on some faces.   
  
Once in his office, she had thrown up a mufflato for good measure. Ron had stayed out of curiosity, and frankly she couldn’t blame him. Ron, however, regretted it after ten minutes of her interrogating their best friend. 

“You did WHAT?” She yelled, curls sparking.   
  
“Hermione, please, you’re going to over exert your magic.”

She was pacing and angry. So very angry. But he was right and she hated it. She took a deep breath that felt like her chest was being sat on by a Hippogriff. 

“If we were in the muggle world, gods, Harry, you would lose your job!” He gave her a skeptical look. She sighed irritably.

“The Data Protection Act ring any bells? Merlin Harry I know you have fully embraced this world, but you need to pick up a Muggle paper every once in a while! What would Lily Potter think-“

“Hermione, I’m sorry but I had to do it. You never ask for help and Nott is extremely knowledgeable in this field of magic. At least according to Flitwick.” 

“Professor Flitwick,” she corrected. 

Harry groaned at her irritated tone of voice, knowing she was mostly justified in feeling upset. Still, drastic times called for drastic measures. And his best friend refusing potentially life saving help was drastic. He passed the parchment across the table which held the address of Nott and Malfoy’s flat.   
She snatched it up from the desk, briefly looking at Harry’s almost illegible handwriting and nodded in victory. She walked around the desk and hugged him tightly.   
“I can’t lose you,” He whispered, his voice gruff and his grip tighter.

“I’m still cross with you,” Hermione said with a chuckle, wiping away a tear that fell from Harry’s cheek. “You’ve become such a softy,” she teased. 

Harry sniffed and scrubbed at his wet eyes. “I blame dying and coming back to life,” he replied. Half joking, half not. 

She kissed both wizard’s cheeks on her way out the office door, making a plan with the two of them to finally hang out now that Hermione and Ron were speaking.   
Determined, she quickly made her way into the atrium where she took a Floo home. The rest of the evening was supposed to be spent organizing the notes of research she had already compiled to make things easier for Nott. Unfortunately, whenever she attempted to focus, she recalled the encounter with him from the previous day.

The care and focus as he siphoned out the glass. The intensity of his stare. The little jokes about her flat. The way he had laughed when she brought up Pansy. Merlin help her. The way his hand felt on her stomach and the way the muscles in his arm looked as he squeezed it. The fact that he insisted on taking her plates and scrubbed them by hand.   
It was odd how comfortable she felt with him. Sure, they were in many advanced classes together at Hogwarts. But they hadn’t interacted much beyond having to work together during class assignments. Had they?

This is how the mysterious Obliviate impacted her day to day life. She could never just trust her memory at face value. It took every ounce of her concentration to remember some things while other memories came with ease. She wanted to cry, but that would be counterproductive. Instead, she tried to get back to work. 

The next morning, beaded bag filled with research, books, Healer’s charts and even an evaluation by an Unspeakable, she set off towards Theodore Nott’s flat. She wasn’t going to just hand over the information and wish for the best. She was going to be involved in finding a solution, a cure even, and if not that, perhaps just her memories returned.   
Her plan was to be firm and not take no for an answer. She could hear him cursing on the other side of the door as she persistently knocked. He opened the door and once again, he looked like a mess. It was endearing and she almost hated how handsome he looked in any state. She had marched into his flat and the accusatory tone he took about Harry informing her about “the project” pissed her off a bit.   
Her medical condition that was frankly depressing and currently incurable was not a project. And then they were standing close and her confidence shrunk as she felt his hot breath wash over her cheeks. The smell of his cologne and musk surrounded her, and she was weak, swooning once again like a bumbling idiot, and then he distanced himself from her personal bubble.   
The most absurd part was how he took a demanding tone with her and she had listened. Hermione Jean Granger was not one to be ordered around unless it was for a purpose. Listening to professors served a purpose. Being bossed around by her best friends had no purpose. In fact, she prefered to be the one bossing them around. She nagged Harry and Ron all throughout Hogwarts about assignments, essays, study time tables she had put together for each of them, all carefully color coordinated. She’d use a tone of voice that was reminiscent of her mother to get them to focus.   
This was the second time Theo Nott had asserted himself towards her and she obeyed. When she lost the battle of the dishes at her flat he smiled coyly and for a moment, she thought how badly she wanted to see that smile again.   
So when he ordered her to sit, she pretended to not be happy about listening to his instructions, but sat all the same. She bit back a smile and he gave a slight nod of approval before watching him exit into, what must have been his room.   
At the sound of running taps, she was up in an instant. The flat was very sparse, clean and hardly any clutter at all. Not at all like Harry and Ron’s place where you couldn’t see the floors most days. The coffee table was black stained wood and dark glass, the furniture grey. Not expensive by any means, but decent.   
The contrast between her red and gold filled flat were stark. She walked to a window and looked down, remembering the view of Diagon Alley Nott mentioned at the coffee shop. 

Unable to see into Nott’s room she resigned to sitting back down. He told her to sit, not to be still. And so she began to unpack her beaded bag as best she could.   
Her beaded bag was an issue with Harry. She still insisted on carrying it around everywhere she went. Inside the bag was a tattered tent, a change of clothes for Harry, Ron and herself, and books they had used on the hunt for the Horcruxes that were, in fact, destroyed. 

She pulled out her now very worn copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard and set it aside. Next was a first aid kit that needed replenishing ever since Ron had splinched. Potions and bottles of Dittany and Skele-gro rattle around as she dug shoulder deep into the bag. It was most certainly an object she could not part with. Harry tried to reassure her that they would never need those items again. She’d look down at the words carved on her arms and the headaches would begin and she would sigh.   
  
“Planning on moving in, Granger?” Nott’s voice startled her and she jumped. Looking up from the couch she almost choked on her words. Theo Nott was standing, very shirtless in grey dress pants that seemed to hug everything quite nicely. She averted her stare quickly, fidgeting with the items that, sprawled out on the couch, looked insane.   
“I’ve brought over the research,” she replied meekly.

He made a “hmm” in acknowledgement and grabbed his wand. With a quick “accio”, a shirt flew out of his room and into his hands. He pulled it over his broad shoulders and she cleared her throat, trying very hard not to watch. 

Theo sat on the edge of the other side of the couch and looked at the bag, his face in that blank mask once again. 

“Capacious Extremis,” He said, nodding his head towards her bag. She couldn’t help but smile in appreciation of his knowledge.

“Yes. The Undetectable Extension charm.”   
“A handy charm indeed. Coffee?” “Oh, um. Yes please,” She watched in confusion as he grabbed a coat and made his way for the door.   
“Coming Granger?”

“You mean…you’re stepping out for coffee? You don’t have a machine?”

“A machine? Like your muggle one? In a shared flat with Draco Malloy? I think not,” he said with an amused laugh.

She laughed awkwardly. “A fair point,” she nodded, feeling her cheeks flush.   
“Got a coat in that bag? Bit chilly out today,” He said, opening the front door and looking at her expectantly.   
She bit the inside of her cheek, grabbed her coat, and walked out of the front door, pretending she didn’t see that damned pleased smile on his face. She shouldn’t have been surprised to find that they we’re walking. She caught herself thinking about how they were going to _their_ shop and almost tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.

Without missing a beat, his hand wrapped around her arm, and he lifted her upright. She’d blame the cold for the deeper blush on her cheeks.   
She ignored the glares from the blonde cashier named Daisy as he ordered them blueberry scones and coffee. And as they walked back to his flat in comfortable silence, she was once again hit with how easy the Slytherin was to be around.   
They walked into the flat to find Malfoy staring in disgust. He scoffed loudly and pointed to Hermione’s beaded bag and the objects spread around the couch and coffee table.   
“The project?” He asked with mirth.   
“Ignore him. He’s a complete tosser first thing in the morning,” Theo replied with a wave of his hand. He went to the couch and pulled a book off the coffee table and began reading as he sipped on his coffee.   
Hermione was frozen in place, the awkwardness between the two wizards palpable.   
“I…”

“You…?” Malfoy mocked with a quirked brow.   
“I got you a scone,” She said quickly, holding out the brown paper bag with the sugary pastry inside that was meant for herself.   
Malfoy looked at her with skepticism but crossed the room and took the bag, rather forcefully.   
Hermione watched the scene, hiding her smile as Malfoy stalked out of the room in a manner that was reminiscent of their old potions master.   
“Shall we get started?” Nott’s voice shook her out of her thoughts.   
She had been nervously playing with the hem of her jumper, something she did so much that a small hole was starting to form. She cleared her throat and sat gingerly next to him.   
He handed her a piece of his own scone and the paper coffee cup. She held onto the cup tightly, letting the warmth ground her as he smiled widely at her.

“Alright, Granger. What do you know of memory charms?”


End file.
